Dai Davies diagnosed with terminal cancer

As usual, I was standing at the front of the Street End when we had the green semi circular slopes behind each goal. My mate shouts "Hey Dai... Happy Easter, and motions to Dai to come and get an Easter Egg.

As Dai runs up the slope, my mate throws him the Easter Egg, but Dai slips over on the greasy slope. However, he manages to juggle the Easter Egg four or five times, but still manages to catch it.

The whole Street end laughs and then gives a huge cheer and breaks into the "Dai Dai Dai Dai Dai Dai" song (To the tune of "Those were the days, my Friend" for those old enough to remember the song)...

Those were the days when Footballers were down to earth, approachable people, and non more so than Dai Davies... Great days.

They got Dai in to give out the awards. The evening was split into different age groups with the older lads going first. He did a question-and-answer slot after giving out the awards.

One of the questions the older lads asked was:

"Who is the best keeper in the league."

Dai replied deadpan: "I am."

The younger kids were a bit smarter and he was asked a similar question:

'Apart from yourself Mr Davies, who is the best keeper in the league?'

They got the answer their smartness and politeness deserved.

From memory, I think he said Shilton and Jennings. There were a lot of good keepers to choose from back then.

A really lovely fellah.

Best wishes to Dai and all the family.

Email him. Diolch!

I sent a message to Dai’s family today, I’m sure they will appreciate all they receive. Once a Blue, always a Blue.

Best Wishes to him and family.

Brings back memories of the old ground and of times when going the match as a young lad was a day to be savoured, and Everton almost but didn't quite get there in terms of success.

One of our own, of course.

I sent an email yesterday telling him and the family hope loved he was at Goodison.

I hope all Blues follow suit as it seems as though the family would welcome it.

The game ended two apiece, Andy King scoring twice for the Blues and Gale and Robbie James were the scorers for the Swans.

Like many on here, he was one of the first Everton keepers that I saw regularly, sharing the shirt with David Lawson. He wasn't really noticed most of the time, mind you as a youngster I wasn't really interested in goalkeepers only the goalscorers captured my imagination, but I don't remember Dai having really bad days and if he did, it didn't matter to me at the time, he was playing for Everton, and that was good enough for me.

Best wishes to Dai and his family at this trying time.

v Swansea 1983

Maybe it's because of the Home Internationals seeming as big a World Cup Final but I always loved seeing Everton players turning out on what seemed like the biggest stage of them all. The guys like Dai, George Wood, and - far too infrequently - Bob, seemed like absolute mega stars to me at the time.

For that reason, Dai will always be up there with Blue legends like Ball, Dixie and Big Nev, etc. Very sad to hear this news and sending all good thoughts to Dai and his family.

I'm currently a STH in the upper Gwladys and am now 61 (but don't look a day over 60 and a half).

When you support a football team from a young age to a much older age, you (naturally) go through various stages re your relationship with the team, the club, chairman, individual players etc.

As you get older, you generally tend to get a little more analytical/critical and when applied to 'your' team, this can sometimes be more than a little harsh.

But when Dai Davies played for Everton, it was a time in my life when I analysed very little. Everton were 'the greatest teeeam the wiiiiiiirld has ever seen' because...we just were. Our players were the best because they played for Everton and..that was that - simple.

So for me, at that stage in my life, Dai was, no question, a hero. A toothless, non-heroic-looking hero but a hero.

When he ran towards the St End it was taken as read he'd get a "WAY-ULZ WAY-ULZ NUMBER ONE.." and give us a wave.

The news of his current condition is very sad obviously but I hope it is some consolation that he is so fondly thought of by players and supporters alike.

It should also be a source of pride to his family that he will be forever part of the history of Everton Football Club and of the Wales national side – achievements very few of us get near.

For me the memories of Dai are fond because he's part of my mad carefree uncomplicated early teenage years. Everton weren't winning anything but it was enough to be an Evertonian. It still is.

Best of luck, Dai.

As an important aside, pancreatic cancer is a little known one but is especially lethal. Because it's so little known, money to combat it is sourced in no small amounts from charity. I'd urge our club and fans to donate anything they can.

I wish him and those close to him all the comfort in the world.

In my early teens then, I remember Dai as a very solid keeper, a physically strong and brave man. He was reliable and operated taller than his actual height in the air.

Best of comfort to him and his family.

Dai was before my time but I remember seeing him in my older brother's Panini sticker collection when I was 8 years old and started supporting Everton.

My thoughts go out to Dai and his family at this difficult time.

I don't remember much from those days other than white socks running past my face but I do remember the names and that Dai was the keeper.

Sorry to hear the news, Dai. As someone said earlier, Once a blue, always a blue. I live in New Zealand now but still roll out clips of old games from my youth. Thanks for the wonderful memories.

Like many of us, my first matches were in the '70s and Dai was one of our heroes.

You played many times for the Blues so will always be remembered as one of us. Wishing you some peaceful days in your battle against this illness, and best wishes to all your family at this sad time.

Always a far better keeper than Lawson with whom he competed for the shirt and was a good, solid keeper who was better than the guy we have now.

He has always seemed a really decent bloke and, having recently experienced the same illness with my best mate's wife, my heart goes out to him and his family.

He is clearly a much-loved figure by us fans and hopefully he will get a big boost from the messages on here and elsewhere.

Funnily enough the game that sticks most in my memory from that season is the England v Wales fixture at Wembley in the Home internationals. Wales led 2-1 early in the second half and Dai played a blinder for Wales as they tried to hang on for their first victory on English soil in decades.

Ultimately, Brian Little of Aston Villa nabbed a late equaliser for England, but Dai and his Welsh teammates were the only Home nation to qualify for the 1976 European Championships with a solid goalkeeper in Dai giving them a decent defensive record.

He left for a ridiculously low transfer fee of £8,000 when George Wood was signed. I learnt later it was as a Thank You so he could go back to Wales and sign for Wrexham. He returned for the 5-2 FA Cup match in 1980 and a couple of times with Swansea, always looking furious when Everton scored!!

I wish him well. For supporters over 50, he's someone you just don't forget.

Dai was integral to those times – God bless you and your family, Dai, thanks for the memories.

As a 60-year-old blue, I have fond memories of you in an Everton shirt.

Never shirked a challenge and gave all for our and your club.

Forever in our hearts and memories.

But I remember watching earlier games on tele when Dai was between the sticks for Everton and he always looked decent.

In 1979, I went to the Racecourse ground, Wales vs West Germany: Dai was in goal that day... fond memories.

Good luck, Dai. Best wishes to you all.

Dai played brilliantly and made several fantastic saves to keep them out. The match was a draw I think.

Certainly an underrated keeper in my mind.

I live down in West Wales now but plenty of younger blokes in these parts have heard of the precursor to Big Nev.

Diolch yn fawr iawn.

We've done well with Welsh players down the years: Dai, Nev, The Rat, Sheedy and the honorary Mr Van Den Hauwe.

Just looking at this old YouTube video of our win over Leeds 3-2, season after they won the league. Some excellent players on both sides and Dai making an excellent save from "sniffer" Clarke in the first half.

Go to 6 mins 20 secs in for the save. Excellent goalkeeping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwUl7a7AsQA

Seems every fan you speak with that was old enough, was at that game. I was, with my father and sister in Upper Bullens, very similar view to the camera position. Fond memories of the 70s, in many ways; home, away, everywhere.

Good luck Dai!

Sheedy was born in Wales but had Irish citizenship as his father was born in Ireland.

I'm so very sorry to hear this news. A great career, family, and person. Little more to ask for. Take strength from the love around you.

Dai, wrth ichi wneud y siwrnai olaf hon, cymerwch gysur yn eich bywyd, eich teulu, a ninnau yn Everton o vintage y 1970au y mae gennych le arbennig yn ein calonnau ar ei gyfer. Bendith Duw, fy ffrind a phob nerth I chi, Bethan, Gareth a Rhian

Wales Number 1

Dai was a big part of that. I hope he and his family realise how much that meant to me and many others.

Best wishes to Dai and his family.

Thanks, Dai, for the pleasure you gave.

I thought he was a great goalie, and have often wondered why he was omitted from the team for the big games in the spring of '77 – Lawson played both the League Cup Final and the FA Cup Semi-Final, as well as the collective 3 replays. For those fans more seasoned then me; do you know if it was just a matter of Lee rotating or was Davies injured?

He played in league matches before, between and after those generation-defining matches, and I like to think that, if Davies – already an international and used to the big occasions – had been selected, Lyons, Latchford and King might have got the trophy their Everton careers had deserved, and given the fans something to treasure forever.

Pure speculation, of course, but that's an inevitable part of fandom, I suppose! My deepest appreciation to Dai for giving his all for Everton, and to his family for the wonderful gesture of organizing for greetings to be brought through.

Roy, post 49, that is an interesting point you make about those cup games. Lawson also had some great games for us. But, given Davies's international experience, he might have been a better bet, as you say.

I cannot remember the reasons why but I do recall there being spells when Dai was No.1 and other periods when Lawson had the shirt. I have a very vague memory that one would get injured then the other would come in and keep his place for a while.

On that issue, perhaps worth noting that when we played AC Milan in the Uefa Cup in September and October 1975 (after failing to win that title) Lawson played in the home leg and Davies in the away.

Neither keeper conceded, but for a penalty in the San Siro. We failed to score in either game, as a number of controversial reffing decisions went against us. Has much changed in 45 years??!!!

Certainly not the affection which many of us have retained over all those years for Dai.

My best wishes to Dai and his family

Never met him myself but knew a nice couple a few years back who were great people and liked him a lot so that to me was a ringing endorsement of him.

God bless you Dai, love to you and all your family, very best wishes. Thoughts and best wishes also go out to anyone who has lost a loved one to this terrible disease or is going through it currently.

Loved the '70s, should have won the league in '75, went to about 200 games in 1977 alone, spent half my life queueing up for match and train tickets.

Great days, pay on the gate for away games, Lawrenson's and Crown coaches, the Specials before the ordinary days, mad chaos most of the time.

Good luck to Dai, one season they seemed to alternate between him and David Lawson every game, anyone got any stats on the way they swapped goalies game to game?

We knocked on the door a few times in the '70s and kicked them down in the '80s, time for a repeat.

You'd have saved McDermott's chip at Maine Road Dai (and maybe your fellow countryman would have given us the benefit at the end)! Memories, and what-might've-beens... anyway, well played ,Sir.

On one of these Saturdays, I brought along a photograph of the Everton 1970-71 season and Dai was thrilled and joked about how young he looked! He is a true gentleman and I always looked forward to catching up with him.